Experienced Healthcare Litigator, Counselor, and Problem Solver
Complex Litigation Experience
Zach excels in handling cases with complicated and novel legal and factual issues, on both the plaintiff and defendant sides of a case. He’s skilled at quickly becoming immersed in the applicable law of a given case. Zach has litigated cases and argued in courts in both Texas and California.
Healthcare Experience
Zach represents physicians, physician practices, surgery centers, hospitals, dialysis centers, pharmacies, chiropractors, and other healthcare providers in litigation and pre-litigation matters, including insurance recoupment demands, OIG investigations, derivative shareholder and limited partnership disputes, billing fraud and abuse matters involving the Anti-Kickback Statute and Stark Laws, professional liability/malpractice claims, and state licensing board (Texas Medical Board, Texas State Board of Pharmacy, Texas State Board of Dental Examiners, etc.) matters.
Zach also makes demands to and, if necessary, sues health insurers and self-funded employer ERISA welfare benefits plans on an hourly, contingency, or hybrid contingency basis to recover reimbursement amounts owed to providers for services rendered.
Strong Academic Credentials
Zach was named a National Merit Scholar after graduating high school from Greenhill School, a small ISAS school in Dallas. He went on to study at Rice University, where he was twice elected by his peers to serve on the university’s Honor Council, walked onto the Division 1-A cross-country and track teams and earned a varsity letter, and graduated with a double major.
Zach earned his law degree at the University of Houston Law Center, where he was elected to serve as his class’s representative to the student Health Law Organization and twice competed in the National Appellate Advocacy Competition.
- 3x Super Lawyers Rising Star – Health Law
- Best Lawyers in America in three categories: Health Care Law; Litigation – Health Care; and Commercial Litigation
Zach sat for and passed the Bar Exam in Texas, California, Illinois, and Missouri, and he became licensed in Oregon through reciprocity. Zach is currently actively licensed in Texas and California, and inactively licensed in Illinois, Missouri, and Oregon.
In addition to being admitted to practice in all state courts in each state in which he is licensed, Zach is admitted to practice in all four federal district courts in Texas, as well as the Central and Northern Districts of California.
Until founding Nichols Weitzner Thomas LLP with his partners, Zach spent his entire career with a large, international law firm, starting as a summer associate in 2008 and working his way up to partner when first eligible. Before making partner, Zach was twice recognized by his firm as the firmwide Litigation Associate of the Year and he also received the prestigious Associate Peer Award as voted on by his fellow associates.
Zach has significant experience representing clients through all phases of litigation, including first-chair jury trial experience in both state and federal court.
Zach is a Lifetime Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation and a member of the American Health Lawyers Association.
Zach comes from a family of healthcare providers, which instilled in him an interest in healthcare from a young age. Zach’s wife, father, and father-in-law are all physicians (Family Medicine, OB/GYN, and Neonatology), and one grandfather was a general surgeon. His other grandfather was a large animal veterinarian. Zach’s mother and mother-in-law are both nurses.
Zach has been happily married to his wife, Sarah, a Board-Certified Family Medicine physician and retired Air Force Major/flight surgeon, since 2009. Zach and Sarah met running cross-country and track at Rice University. Together, they are the proud parents of two energetic boys, Benjamin and Jacob. Zach and Sarah adopted Jacob when he was four years old, after fostering him and several other children through the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.
Zach is a fan of the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Astros. He enjoys all things active and outdoors, especially exploring the National Parks, playing and following tennis, and running. He and his wife have visited 29 of the National Parks and hope to visit all 63 someday.